Window Dressing

2021

New Middles, Exhibit Columbus, 2020-21, Columbus, IN. Curated by Mimi Zeiger and Iker Gil.

Site-specific Installation

Window Dressing invites visitors to reflect on the material legacy of Late Modernism in Columbus, Indiana. Through a temporary cladding system of ornamental shingles, the installation re-imagines the original curtain wall façade of The Commons and Courthouse Center, an iconic work of late-modern architecture in downtown Columbus by César Pelli and Norma Merrick Sklarek (completed in 1973 and demolished in 2008). Using mylar film—a lightweight precursor to mirrored glass initially developed for the aerospace industry—the piece recalls the evolution of hermetic building envelopes during the energy crisis of the 1970s, as well as the vibrant community events that once took place inside this climate-controlled, public interior: from high school proms, to fashion shows, to election nights. Throughout the course of the day, this dynamic architectural tapestry encourages multiple readings of its surrounding context, responding to changing atmospheres and events: wind and light, pedestrian traffic, and the civic rhythms of downtown Columbus.

Project Team: Isabella Greco, Michael Deitz, Alessandro Ricciardi, Sterling Yun, Siming Zhang, Adele Biehl, Chareese Lam.

Material Consultants: RAIR Philadelphia

Fabrication: Fast Signs, H. Loeb Corporation, Drytac Corporation.

Photography: Hadley Fruits, Sterling Yun.